


Down Time

by miss_aligned



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mass Effect 3, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 16:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6761137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_aligned/pseuds/miss_aligned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Commander works a little too hard, at times. On occasion someone else needs to step in and make sure that she's taking care of herself. Fortunately, it works in both parties' best interests.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Down Time

“Isn’t it about time for a break?”

Shepard had barely noticed the sound of the door opening, but suddenly Kaidan was beside her, offering her a steaming cup. He smiled, and she couldn’t have stopped her own grin in response even if she’d tried.

“Hey, sorry.” She gratefully accepted the drink, pushing aside the datapad she’d been reading, and curled her fingers around the warmth of the mug. “There’s just a lot of information to go over. I lost track of time. Thanks.”

He leaned down, snaking one arm around her and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She nearly dropped her drink, slamming it unexpectedly down on the desk. A sharp hissing noise escaped her lips as her head drooped and her eyes shut tight. Kaidan froze.

“Shepard?” His voice was wrought with concern. “Are you injured?”

“Ahh…” she began, gathering her wits about her once more. The instinctive recoil had come as much of a surprise to her as it had to him. “It’s just a bit more soreness than I anticipated, that’s all.”

His brow furrowed and he held out a hand to help her up. There was no request made nor argument to be had. She knew that he intended to take her to the med bay. It was probably where she should have gone immediately after returning from their last run-in with Cerberus, but, quite frankly, she just wanted some peace and quiet as opposed to needless fussing over some tender skin and muscles.

She groaned as she looked at his extended hand, making it clear that she had no intention of spending the night with Dr. Chakwas. Lovely as she was, Shepard just wanted to rest peacefully in a bed with Kaidan at her side. It annoyed her that such a scenario was apparently too much to ask.

“To the med bay. Come on.” He curled his fingers around hers and gently pulled her towards him. His movement was firm enough to brook no argument but gentle enough to avoid causing additional pain.

“I’m a soldier, dammit. Can’t I just walk it off?” She stood at his beckoning, but didn’t take any steps toward the door. “Seriously. I’m just sore. Nothing’s broken. A little sniper fire never killed anyone.”

Kaidan snorted at that. “Really?”

“I consider myself something of an expert on things that could kill me. This definitely isn’t one of them.” She smiled broadly and wrapped her arms, with a bit of effort, around his neck, pulling him in for a series of kisses, winding her way quickly around and over his mouth. With any luck, she could make him forget that he wanted her to go to the med bay.

He sighed heavily at first, though his annoyed expression did shift quickly to a coy smile with each movement of her lips. Eventually, he relented under her affectionate assault and settled his hands on her hips, avoiding the injured area altogether. Eventually he pressed his forehead to hers and they stood there for a moment, simply breathing one another in and enjoying the closeness.

“Fine, but I want to take a look. Come on,” he said as he pulled away, taking hold of her hand again and leading her further into the room. She didn’t make an effort to pull away or resist. In all honesty, she was curious as to why the area was so tender as well. It hadn’t felt like much of anything when they were cleaning and stowing their gear after the mission.

She sat on the side of the bed at his request while he moved off to retrieve a few supplies. She stretched her arms up and around, testing from where, exactly, the pain seemed to be radiating. Kaidan returned and set his small med kit aside to focus on her. “Off with the shirt.”

“Why, Major,” Shepard cooed, a mischievous grin tugging at the edges of her mouth. “Are you using your rank and influence to get me out of my clothes?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “No, I was hoping to use my charm and good looks for that.”

That earned him a pillow to the face.

Shepard laughed, but did as he asked, peeling the clothing covering her torso away so that he could get a better look at the damage. His head cocked to the side as he surveyed her left side, where his hand had landed only moments before and apparently caused her such discomfort.

“It doesn’t look so… oh. Good lord, Shepard…”

“What?”

He sighed heavily, retrieving the medigel from his kit. “You said it was sniper fire? Your side and back look like a road map. I can see where all of the seams of your armor pressed into your skin from the impact. What kind of sniper was it?”

“A crappy one,” she responded with a smirk. “Still here!”

He began applying the gel with feather-light strokes of his fingers. Though he was striving to avoid causing pain, the swollen, bruised skin was overly sensitive. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth, concentrating on avoiding the med bay at all costs. She wanted to stay here tonight, that much was certain.

“Please be more careful. And if you can’t do that, please go to the med bay if you’re hurt,” Kaidan said quietly as he concentrated on her battered skin. It was worded as a request, but she understood it as more of a demand than anything. She nodded, knowing he was right.

When he finished tending to her injuries, he sat back and sighed. Shepard glanced at him over her shoulder, noting the concerned expression on his face as his eyes meandered across his handiwork. “You know,” she began as a wry smile crept across her lips. “You told me once that you liked adventurous women.”

His amber eyes shifted to her face and she noticed a faint flush rise to his cheeks. “You remember that, eh?” The wistful grin that graced his features in that moment made her heart flutter. He leaned in close, his breath hot and his husky whisper gently brushing by her ear. “I do like adventurous women, though if you could tone it down just a little, I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

There was no stopping the girlish giggle and goosebumps that rippled across her flesh. Shepard spun around suddenly, catching him off guard. Before he seemed to realize what was happening, she had him pinned down on the bed, her knees on either side of Kaidan’s hips and his hands helplessly intertwined with her own.

“And let you get bored of me?” she teased, ever-so-slowly leaning her head lower towards him. His grin widened as she uttered a single word before claiming his lips with her own. “Never.”


End file.
